Last week, on the threshold of the national holiday – State Flag Day, the administrative center of Balkan velayat celebrated the ceremony of opening a new railway station. The new railway station in Balkanabat was built by local builders (the private enterprise – “Ösüş gurluşyk”) against the order of the Ministry of Railway Transport of Turkmenistan. The project was completed four months ahead of schedule. The two-story white marble building has improved the city’s architectural look. It is decorated in the national style with “gilded” metal carpet pattern-shaped moldings. The central foyer of the railway complex has changed beyond recognition. The first floor accommodates a 100-seat waiting room, ticket offices, an information office, cellular service and currency exchange offices. There are electronic display panels, plasma television sets, and automatic cash terminals to suit passengers’ convenience. The second floor has shops and kiosks, including newsstands, as well as an Internet café, a conference hall, administrative premises, a small hotel, and a VIP hall. The building also boasts a room for mothers with children, a medical aid room and other premises. Autonomous air-conditioning and heating systems create a favorable microclimate. In the frames of the project, the platform was also renovated and provided with special shelters, given the climatic conditions of Turkmenistan. There are also cozy benches (with a capacity of 250 seats) on the platform. The territory adjacent to the complex is well-landscaped and planted to coniferous trees; lawns and flower beds are well-arranged; recreational areas and original street lamps are provided for. Parking lots are located next to the station.